Vir Das Tells Us 5 Fun Facts About Himself And What He Looks Forward To Most In Malaysia
In which we had a serious interview (lol not really) with one of India's biggest comedy stars.
By Samantha Khor — 13 Nov 2017, 06:57 PM
With sold-out performances across the globe and a Netflix special under his belt, Vir Das is inarguably the biggest English-speaking comedian in India and one of the hottest names in comedy right now
Having made Variety's 10 Comics To Watch for 2017 in a list that includes Tiffany Haddish and Hasan Minhaj, Vir Das also made history as the first Indian comedian to have a comedy special on Netflix.
Vir is set to embark on the 'Boarding Das World Tour' in support of his one-hour Netflix show 'Abroad Understanding', which will bring him across six continents and 20 countries including Canada, Dubai, Australia, Switzerland, the UK, Singapore, and of course, Malaysia on 23 November at Galaxy Hall, HGH Convention Centre. More details and ticket prices here.
Ahead of his first solo stand-up show in Malaysia next week, we got in touch with the funnyman himself for a quick not-so-serious chat:
1. Hi there, Vir! First things first, tell us how you got into stand-up comedy.
"I was in a really serious acting program in the States. Very 'sit in a circle and cry all day' vibes. I was looking for something a little more rebellious and organic, so I started writing jokes. The first time a joke landed and I got a laugh, I knew I was hooked for life."
2. What's the scariest thing about performing onstage?
"I think for me, it's the urge to disrobe. I feel like I'd get much greater laughs if I did so.
(But) I overcome that urge by having empathy for the audience and the fact that they need to sleep that night and go to work in the morning. They don't need the nightmares. No one wants to see that."
3. Most embarrassing thing to have happened to you while performing for a live audience?
"I once forgot what city I was in. I ended up calling the city by another city's name. In my defence, I was very very jet-lagged.
Either way, I'm looking forward to this coming show in your city. Jakarta is one of my favourite places. I'm kidding... I know it's Shanghai." :p
4. Who's the first person you try out new jokes on?
"My wife Shivani. Then my bulldog Watson. Watson usually gives me bigger laughs. But the upside is when I tell Shivani a joke, I don't have to bribe her with biscuits."
5. You're pretty vocal about your political opinions, both on and offstage. Do you ever worry that the authorities might come knocking on your door some day?
"If they come knocking at my door, it will be during election season, and looking for a vote. Otherwise, I think they have way more important things to worry about. If they are looking into the words of comedians, in a country of a billion people, we have a lot to worry about."
6. What do you look forward to most when you arrive in Malaysia?
"Teh tarik. I love love LOVE that stuff."
7. Anything you'd like to say to your Malaysian fans?
"Come see the show. It's about waking up in your thirties and rediscovering who you are as a person, questioning your belief in god, politics, love, sex, finances, friendship, social media, and so much more.
This show is about me, but it's really about you."
Now for even better news! We're giving away ONE PAIR of tickets to Vir Das' show in Kuala Lumpur. HOW TO WIN:
2. Caption the photo below in less than 20 words.
3. Submit your entry in the comments section of this post.
DEADLINE: The giveaway ends on Tuesday, 21 November @ 11.59PM. The winner will be notified by 12PM on Wednesday, 22 November. Good luck!
Terms and conditions:
2. Winning entries will be judged based on relevance, originality, and creative merit. All decisions made are final and no other correspondence will be entered into.
3. All participants are required to fulfill all the listed requirements when submitting their entries. Incomplete entries will be disqualified.
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5. The Winner will be contacted directly via Facebook and will be given 24 hours to respond. Should the Winner fail to respond within the given time, the prize will be forfeited and passed on to the next best entry.
6. The prize is personal and cannot be sold or transferred to someone else. If the winner does not or cannot accept the prize, it reverts back to SAYS and it is at our sole discretion to award the prize to another participant in this giveaway.
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